well, I’m trying to take better care of myself now. Counting calories and fat grams, eating healthy food, full body workouts with cardio 4 times a week… 1 problem: Diet food tastes gross.
I need help here. Anybody have any good recipes for low fat healthy meals? I’m a relatively good cook so help me out. URL’s would be good to.
ants spend 20% of their day working…
The Neo-Comintern
Go out for sushi, really low in fat and really yummy. My favorite thing to make at home(not super low in fat, has nuts in it, but healthy nonetheless) - Saute chopped onions in a little bit of olive oil in a sauce pan, when soft throw in water and chicken boullion. When boiling, add rice (measurements based on how much rice you want). When rice is almost done, throw in a handful of shelled, chopped up pistachios. It’s heaven.
chicken bouillon? is that chicken broth? hahahaha… =)
ants spend 20% of their day working…
The Neo-Comintern
You might try searching for vegetarian sites. I don’t have any specific URL’s right off-hand, but I’ve found them to be more consistently healthy and creative than the more traditional recipe sites. (I’m not a vegetarian, but I tend to buy and read a lot of vegetarian cookbooks because they have more variety.) I also tend to do a lot of “ethnic” cooking–Japanese, Southeast Asian, Indian–when I am trying to incorporate more vegetables and grains into my diet.
Check out ediets.com. You have to pay, but they have pretty good recipes.
A couple of my favorite recipes :
Healthy Stir Fry
(this recipe is for 1 serving)
~4 oz meat or tofu
3+ cups mixed vegetables, chopped (A good mix is 1 red bell pepper, a handful of pea pods, bok choy, and some bean sprouts)
1 Tablespoon of teriyaki sauce (make sure it’s no fat, most are.)
1 teaspoon oil
rice (brown or white)
garlic/fresh ginger/green onions if desired.
Using a nonstock frying pan, saute meat/tofu in oil. When done, add veggies and saute. If you have some veggies that will take longer to cook (like carrots), add those before adding the other, faster cooking veggies. Cook 'em for a few minutes so they’re all done to your liking. Add garlic/ginger/green onions at the end, cook for about a minute. Then add Teriyaki sauce, cook for another minute. Serve over rice. Yummmm… better than going out for chinese.
Beans & Rice
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 teaspoon oil
a few tablespoons of salsa
1 cup of frozen corn
1 cup of rice, cooked
1 Tablespoon cumin
Salt & Pepper
In a nonstick pan, saute onion and garlic in the oil. Add black beans & corn. When hot, add salsa, enough to add some liquid to the mix. Add cumin. When it’s all hot, serve over rice.
It’s good to add some diced tomatos to the top, or green peppers when sauteing. I also sometimes dump in some red wine and use less salsa.
I’d invest in a low-fat Mexican food cookbook (if you like Mexican, that is). My problem with diet food is that it is too bland and I miss the flavor that fat can impart. When I’m trying to eat low-fat, I eat a little spicier, because the spice seems to make the absence of fat less noticable. I don’t have any specific recipes I can give you, but I like to use cajun spice on fish fillets (pan fry with Pam or mix up a spicy bread coating and bake); lemon-pepper on chicken; and chiles (or chile power) in low-fat enchilada and tomato sauces. You might also try marinades for chicken and fish – a good teriyaki or fajita marinade adds tons of flavor without any fat. Oh, and herbs! Fresh herbs can add tons of flavor without any fat. I especially like fresh cilantro, but there are lots to try. Basically, anything that intensifies the flavor of the food will make it less bland and therefore less obviously “low-fat.” Good luck!
Jodi
Fiat Justitia
Another vote for Chinese/Japanese cuisine here. Good taste, low in fat (you can leave out the meat if you wish), and full of vegetables.
– Sylence
I don’t have an evil side. Just a really, really apathetic one.
I think everybody reacts to diets differently. I find it easy to shed pounds just by cutting way down on sugar, which (I believe) forces my bod to tap into fat reserves for the energy I need. I also cut way down on meat and eat more veggies. Properly seasoned, veggies are wonderfully tasty & you can even dab a little Fabio brand margarine on them. It’s also important to stay active. When I do eat meat, it’s chicken & fish.
I recently took a new job where I’ll be sitting at a PC all day, and I’m worried that I will start to gain weight from my lack of activity & increase in the amount of sugary coffee I am drinking. To counter this, I take the stairs instead of the elevator (only six floors) and walk around the block on my breaks. Do what you can…
I am also a fan of Asian cuisine, especially Vietnamese food. For gads sakes stay out of fast food places.